Did you know that patients with rosacea may have higher risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease? Based on a study released on Thursday, researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark found a link between the chronic inflammatory skin disorder rosacea and dementia, both of which are marked by increased levels of certain proteins.
Rosacea Increases Risk For Alzheimer's & Dementia
The recent findings about the link between rosacea and dementia came after researchers analyzed the data from the adult Danish population between 1997 and 2012. According to Fox News, they found that those who have rosacea showed a seven percent increased risk of having dementia, while a 25 percent increase was found for Alzheimer's disease.
The scientists also divided their findings on the connection of rosacea and Alzheimer's disease into two categories - by age and by gender. They observed that women with rosacea had a 28 percent increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, while a 16 percent increase was found in men.
By age, Alzheimer's disease risk was only predominantly higher by 20 percent among individuals with the age of 60. Despite the findings, however, experts stressed that people with rosacea should not be exaggeratedly worried.
Rosacea's Links To Diseases Still Unclear
"It is important for patients to remember that having rosacea does not guarantee that they will develop Alzheimer's disease," study lead author Dr. Alexander Egeberg explained, as per Health.com. "In fact, while the risk in rosacea patients may be slightly increased compared with the general population, the absolute risk [to any one patient] is still quite low."
Egeberg also emphasized that the study only suggested that rosacea may be linked with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. However, the pathogenic connections between the aforementioned conditions remain unclear, EurekAlert! noted.
What Is Rosacea?
In the United States, more than 16 million Americans suffer from rosacea, the National Rosacea Society reveals. This chronic inflammatory skin condition is characterized by the appearance of disfiguring redness and acne-like markings on the face, which can slowly spread in the ears, chest and back.
Despite being treatable, there is no known cure for rosacea as well as no clear cause. As per the American Academy of Dermatology, there are four rosacea subtypes: Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, Papulopustular rosacea, Phymatous rosacea and Ocular rosacea.
Dementia vs. Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease always confuse many people. The reason? They normally think these two conditions are the same since the terms are often used interchangeably, but they are actually not.
Dementia is defined as the total deterioration of the intellectual functioning caused by atrophy of the nervous system. It is often characterized by loss of cognitive ability but it is not a normal part of aging, EmpowHER reveals.
Alzheimer's disease, on the other hand, is a subset and the most common type of dementia, affecting almost 5.2 million Americans, as previously reported. It is an age-related, non-reversible, progressive disorder that damages the brain and will result in impaired memory, thinking and behavior.
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